Roadway snow excavator



Feb 2 193%. E. K SMEA 2,109,04

ROADWAY SNOW EXCAVATOR Filed Jan. 7, 19 37 2 Sheets-Sheei l Feb 22, 31938 E KISMEAL 2,109,4

ROADWAY SNOW EXCAVATOR Filed Jan. 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES ROADWAY SNOW EXCAVATOR Ellis K. Smeal, Morrisdale, Pa., assignor of onehalf to John Little, Philipsburg, Pa.

Application January '7, 1937, Serial No. 119,512

13 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of excavating and pertains particularly to snow removing machines for roadways.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a snow removing machine for roadways which employs pneumatic power for lifting the snow and conveying the same off to the side of the road, the device being particularly novelly designed to transfer the snow by air pressure without having the same pass through the blower fan casings.

In the machines of the type at present employed for clearing deep snow from roadways considerable difficulty is frequently experienced in properly handling the snow where the same is moist and packs easily, primarily as a result of the fact that no means has heretofore been devised for maintaining a differential of speed between the snow heating units employed for carrying the snow into conveyors and the movement of the apparatus into the snow.

The present invention has for another important object the provision of a novel mechanism whereby the snow conveyor can be moved into a snow bank at a relatively slow speed and certain moving elements for breaking up the snow and transmitting it to carry-off pipes may be run at a relatively high speed and at the same time operated from the traction wheels of the vehicle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved snow clearing and excavating machine which is capable of digging into high banks of snow and cutting the same down and discharging the snow into a carry-01f pipe through which an air blast is maintained.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:--

Figure l is a View in side elevation of a machine embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in plan of the power transmitting mechanism between the traction wheel for the machine and certain rotary elements of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical fore and aft sectional view through the machine;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line d l of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, the central portion of the Structure being brokenout.

Figure 6 is a view in detail of a modified form of snow distributing pipe into which the snow is to be driven by the fans for distribution at the sides of the road.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 8 generally designates a housing having the top, side and rear walls 2, 3, and 3 respectively and the upwardly and rearwardly inclined bottom wall 5. The forward part of the housing structure is open and the lower edge of the bottom wall 5 is supported upon two or more caster Wheels 6 while the rear of the housing is supported by the large wheel I which is coupled with the housing by the yoke structure 8. EX- tending rearwardly from the rear portion of the housing is a push beam 9 by means of which the structure may be coupled with a tractor or other suitable operating machine.

The rear wheel carrying yoke structure 8 has a shaft I extended therethrough, upon one end of which a gear pinion l l is mounted which is in toothed connection with the gear l2 which is secured to the wheel 1, concentrically therewith as illustrated. A suitable bearing bracket I3 is attached to the housing at one side to support the other end of the shaft II] as illustrated in Figure 2 and upon this end of the shaft [0 'is secured a friction disk l4.

Suitable bearing brackets l are attached to the side of the housing I adjacent the disk l4 and these support a power transmitting shaft it upon the lower end of which is a small friction wheel H which has contact with the working face of the disk It while upon the other end of the shaft i6 is a large friction wheel I8. The shaft I6 is carried by the bearing brackets l5 so that it may be moved longitudinally and thus shift the friction wheel ll radially across the face of the disk l4.

Adjustment of the shaft I6 is effected through the medium of the lever l9 which is pivotally attached at 20 to the casing and which is secured in adjusted position by means of the toothed rack 2! which is secured to the housing and the shiftable pawl 22 which is carried by the lever. The lower end of the lever carries a link 23 or any other suitable means for coupling it with the shaft 15, the link here shown being pivotally atv tached at one end to the lever and having its other end pivotally attached to a sleeve 24 which surrounds the shaft but is'adapted to have the shaft rotate freely therein.

Extending transversely of the structure at the lower forward edge of the bottom wall 5, is a downwardly and forwardly tapered plow 25 and secured to the upper surface of the plow is a wear plate 26, the forward edge of which projects beyond the plow in the manner illustrated for contact with the ground or it may be adjusted by means of the screws 21 which secure it to the plow body, so that its forward edge will be free from contact with, but in close proximity to the round.

' Within the housing I are two blower structures which are designated by the numerals 28 and 29. These structures consists of the usual circular casings 30, 3| respectively and fan blades 32 and 33 mounted within the casings. The blades 32 for the blower 28 are mounted upon the transverse shaft 34 which at one end extends out through the side of the housing upon which the shaft I6 is disposed and upon the outer end of this shaft 34 is mounted a sprocket gear 35 and a friction disk 36. The friction wheel 18 is in contact with the face of this disk and the length of the shaft I6 is such that when the wheel ll is disposed adjacent the center of the friction disk M, the friction wheel I8 will be in engagement with the disk 36 adjacent the periphery of the latter. Thus by shifting the shaft 16 and the wheels carried thereby the speed of rotation of the disk 36 may be varied.

Extending transversely of the interior of the housing I is a snow receiving casing which is of relatively shallow depth and which is indicated generally by the numeral 31. This casing is located between the front and rear wheels 33 and 39 respectively and, as shown in the detailed illustration in Figure 4, it tapers at its top to the outlet pipe 40 which extends through the top wall 2 of the housing. This outlet pipe has swivelly attached thereto, as at 4|, a carryoff pipe 42 which is formed so that it may extend a substantial distance beyond either side of the housing to deposit snow at the side of the road.

The fan housing 28 is disposed behind the snow receiving casing 31 and has a downwardly and forwardly directed air outlet 43. The lower part of the back wall 39 of the snow receiving casing 31 is extended forwardly to a close proximity with the rear of the plow 25 and this portion which is indicated by the numeral 44 constitutes the lower and back wall of the snow receiving casing and the top wall of the air passageway 43 which leads from the rear blower 23. The rear wall of the air passageway 43 is indicated by the numeral 45 and extends forwardly in converging relation with the wall 44 and beyond the forward edge of the same, being reverted over the top surface of the wall 44 as indicated at 46 so as to form the return air nozzle 4? by means of which air will be driven rearwardly over'the top surface of the wall 44 and upwardly into the snow receiving casing 31. This reverted air nozzle is directly behind the plow 25 and the rear edge of the plate 26 which lies upon the top of the plow extends part way over the top of the reverted portion 46.

The forward wall of the snow receiving casing 37 merges at its lower end above the wall 44 into the semi-circular housing 48 which encloses the major portion of a toothed drum 49. The teeth of this drum are indicated by the numeral 59 and these pass over and in close proximity to the free edge of the nozzle 41 so as to mechanically move snow back off of the plow into the entrance way to the casing 31.

The blower 29 is preferably disposed above the casing 48 and has a downwardly directed air pipe which is indicated by the numeral and which has the lower end constricted to form the rearwardly curving nozzle 52 which conforms in curvature with the wall of the casing 48 and discharges under the toothed drum 49 and across the rear edge of the plow plate 26. The discharge of this nozzle is slightly in advance of the outlet for the reverted nozzle or air passageway 41 and blows air back in the same direction and between the same and the drum 49. It will thus be apparent that as the plow moves forward the snow picked up thereon will move across the plate 26 beneath the nozzle 52 which is of a width to extend entirely across the interior of the housing I as is the reverted nozzle 46 also and the snow will be caught by the fingers 59 and, if it is packed or frozen, will be broken up so that the air blown from the nozzles will carry it into the casing 3i and up through the discharge or carry-off pipe 42.

The drum 49 is mounted upon the shaft 53 which extends transversely of the housing and out through the side through which the shaft 34 extends and the fan blades 33 are mounted upon the shaft 54 which also extends out through the same side of the housing as the shaft 34. These shafts 53 and 54 carry upon their outer ends the sprocket wheels 55 and these two wheels and the wheel 35 are connected by the chain 56 so that all three of the shafts may be driven in l unison. A suitable chain tightener 51 is mounted upon the outer side of the housing in the usual manner so as to keep the chain under the desired degree of tension.

I Extending upwardly upon each side of the structure I and at the open front thereof, is a standard or beam 58. These beams are in parallel relation and are connected at their top and bottom ends by the shafts 59 and 69 respectively and these shafts carry sprocket wheels it over which passes an endless chain belt which is made up of the chain's H connected by transverse slats 12. The lower shaft is directly above the forward edge of the plow 25 and the slats T2 carry fingers 73 which, when the endless belt structure is moved into a snow bank, break up the snow and carry the particles thereof downwardly into position to be carried over the plow rearwardly beneath the rotating drum 49. The shaft 34 may be provided with an extra sprocket wheel as indicated at 14 to facilitate the operative coupling of this shaft by means of the sprocket chain 75 with a sprocket wheel 16 mounted upon the upper shaft 59. By this means the same power delivering mechanism which operates the fans in the drum 49 is employed for operating the endless chain belt.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that with a machine of the character herein described the highest drifts can be broken down and carried rearwardly over the plow into the snow receiving casing 3! in the form of broken up particles and these particles will be moved through the casing by the blast of air delivered thereinto from the nozzles 41 and 52. Any additional hard particles of snow or ice which may pass over the plow will be broken up by the teeth 59 of the drum 49 so that the air can readily lift these particles to discharge them through the carry-off pipe.

By means of the speed change mechanism comprising the friction disks and wheels, through which power is transmitted from the traction wheel I to the other moving parts of the machine, the speed of operation of the drum 49, the endless chain structure and the fans, can be varied without regard to the speed of movement of the machine over the ground. Thus if a particularly difiicult snow bank is to be moved and it 

